What I've Created
by Wojiz
Summary: My novelization project of Harvest Moon 64. All the characters that you love and all the memories! Check back frequently for new chapters, I'll have them up quickly.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

_Year 1, Spring 2, Wednesday_

Life wasn't going so well, that much was clear. What did I have ahead of me? A job in the city with my father? What would I become? Rich? Just another faceless accountant, lost in the seas of urban life? I didn't want that. I wanted to be somebody, heck, something. I wanted to make a name for myself; well, no, maybe that's not the best way to put it. I wanted to make a difference, to achieve something. My true desire was to create. I didn't want to sink into the generic anonymity my father was in; I wouldn't trade my character for wealth, like he did. The world of the city felt… cold. Bleak. Where was the kindness, the warmth? I guess I'm a sensitive guy, because I admire kindness. I hated the universe I came from, ever since the last beacon of light died from it and abandoned me to my other parent. I loved Mom. Loved her to death… well, maybe that's not a good way to put it, considering. It's not that I don't love Dad, it's just… Regardless, when the opportunity arose to leave that world, I took it.

I never spent a lot of time around Grandpa, and even still, he was one of the most influential people in my life. I was five years old and my mother had just passed away. It was spring and fading into summer, and I spent that summer on the farm, to recover from that loss. So, Dad sent me to Grandpa. Grandpa was… different. Probably even in the country where he lived. Genial, amicable. Just a likable guy all around. He had a wife, who died before I was born, and a single son, my father. Grandpa had built his farm up from nothing; cut down the wood himself, nailed in the nails himself, put the tiles on the roof himself. I always admired that; creation. That's one of the reasons I wanted to live in the country. In the city, I don't think any paths for creation would be open to me. What would I create as a businessman? Nothing, just deal with the meaningless numbers of stocks and money and… whatever. That's not important.

Grandpa was trusted and respected by the whole town, I knew from the moment I came to his funeral. But what was more important than all the trust and respect in the world was the love. He was truly an important person in this town, a driving force, a loved one.

Will I be like that?

When he was dying, a few days before that fateful day, I talked to Dad about the farm. I don't remember most of the conversation, not like it matters. He was disapproving, and it took a good bit of stubbornness and persuasion. I pulled a few nasty tricks and did whatever it took to get out of that damn city. Finally, he agreed. Two days later, with 500G, the clothes on my back and my beloved hat, Dad and I were on a train to the town that Grandpa lived in. We didn't talk.

His death is something I can't write about, and I won't write about. Today. Someday, I will. But I can't now.

The funeral was odd. I'd been to a few before, and they were always depressing, mournful. Yet this one was… happy? Not exactly. But not sad. It was as much a festival of remembrance as it was a mourning. He was a beloved member of their community, and they all had their own little stories they shared with him, save for the youngest ones. There was no end to the praise of him, and from I could see, no one really disliked him.

I had so much to say about him. That he was neighborly, kind, genial, the epitome of goodness, even though I had spent only a summer with him…

But I remained silent. It wasn't my place. Besides, nothing I would have said would be something that no one didn't already know.

A few hours later, the people had dispersed, and were sound asleep in their beds. I stood in the farm that was once my grandfather's and now… mine? Even as I write this, I can't believe that I didn't earn this, like I pried it from my grandfather's dead hands. But I can't think that. I'm not taking it from him, I'm taking it for him. In the coming years, I swear that I'll make it as great as I can. My father wasn't going without a few miserable, disapproving words, though.

"Are you sure you want to do this? It's a hard life out here, and you might not make it like Dad… Your grandfather did."

No, Dad, I'm not sure I want to do this, that's why I want through all the trouble of convincing the least open-minded man in the world to let me leave the gray hellhole I was trapped in. But I kept to my sarcastic thoughts to myself. My verbal answer was curt and clear.

"Yes."

I forgot to write, I have a dog now. He's cute, and I named him Spike. I guess he's been pretty lonely since Grandpa died.

And now, what my grandfather created lives on in memory. For what he created isn't the house I'm living in, nor the field outside, nor the empty stable near this abode. For what he created was love, and now, that was my job.

To create.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_Year 1, Spring 3, Thursday_

Getting up wasn't easy. Well, I guess it was easy, but getting up on time wasn't. Note to self: Get an alarm clock.

I clambered out of bed, groggily, and fixed myself some rice balls, my favorite breakfast. Pulling on my clothes and, most importantly, my hat, I stepped outside, into the bright sunshine. My first day as a farmer. It sounds weird to call myself that, stepping out into the world as one thing one day and as something completely different the next. Does just proclaiming myself a farmer make me one? I guess not, but I'll prove myself one soon enough.

The first thing that caught my eye was an incredibly short man in red, with a top hat (red, same color. I guess the guy liked red.) and a brown mustache. He had a red nose and a small pair of glasses perched on that round nose. The man was balding, but had a ring of brown hair around the back of his head. His appearance was almost… cute, though that's an odd way of putting it. He beamed radiantly as a smiled and walked over to him, hand outstretched. He shook it with both hands.

"Nice to meet you," the flamboyant started, jovially. "I'm the mayor of Flower Bud Village, and I just came by to welcome you!"

I was a little shocked by his jovial attitude, that wasn't something I was used to. But that doesn't mean I wasn't pleased to see it. Before I could speak, he started up again.

"Now, I think the first thing to do would be to show you around the town and introduce you to all the people of the village. What do you think of that, my boy, er…?"

"Jack." I grinned at him and shook his hand back. "Yeah, that sounds great."

He smiled, sincerely. "Marvelous! Well, if you'll just follow me, I'll show you the way around the village and around it."

He turned and sort of wobbled like a plump penguin towards the road. It was actually kind of funny, and I held back a chuckle.

The farm was, er, is pretty close to Flower Bud Village. It was quaint and had an aura of beauty amongst it. The first place the mayor took me to was a small store that had 'Lillia's' inscribed above the door. The bell jingled as we came in, and I quickly realized I would probably be giving this place a lot of business.

I noticed a lot of bags and packs of seeds scattered along the shelves. Potatoes, corn, cabbages, eggplants, turnips, tomatoes, strawberries, all sorts of vegetables, not to mention the massive amounts of flowers scattered everywhere. The whole store had a very floral feel to it, and that feeling was summed up by the woman behind the counter, in a blue dress, a squinting smile and pink hair.

Vibrant pink hair in a sort of ponytail running down the back of her head. I stared for half a second. Was it died? A wig? You never really saw stuff like that in the city, except on the freaks, of course. But otherwise, this person looked normal. I assumed she was perfectly normal, at least. I also assumed that the person in front of me was Lillia; even her name was flower-like. She, like the mayor, also had a happy expression. I greeted her happily and shook her hand. She smiled.

"Hey there. My name's Jack, and I just moved into the farm my grandfather left behind. It's nice to meet you."

Her voice was sweet, like a rose. God, even her voice was like a flower. "Well, it's great to meet you, Jack. I'm Lillia, and I run this store, along with my husband, Basil, and my daughter Popuri."

A whole family of flower-people. Cute.

"You'll most likely meet Basil in a week or two, and Popuri's bound to be around town somewhere. I'm sure you'll be dropping by here often, seeing as we sell a whole bunch of vegetable seeds."

I gave another grin and thanked her. Before we left, I even bought a packet of cabbage seeds for 200g and pocketed them. A little voice at the back of my head rang out.

_300g left._

I realized my self-reliance in financial affairs at that moment. Dad wouldn't be able to bail me out if I needed money. I was alone. Yet at the same time, this brought freedom. And that was definitely worth it.

The mayor bustled out of the flower/seed/vegetable/whatever shop with a cheery wave and led me all the way across the road, with was about 5 feet wide. Around a bush and on a small patch of grass was an old woman with two sewing needles in her hands, rolling back and forth on an old, wooden rocking chair. The minute she saw us, her wizened old face smiled and her eyes twinkled. Was it because of the mayor, or…

"Jack! Look at how much you've grown, you've gotten so big!"

Whoa.

"Well, I know you probably don't recognize me, but I've known you since you were so little. Last time I so you, you were just a sprout. It's good to see you taking up your grandfather's legacy, he was such a great man… Well, go on inside and introduce yourself, I'm sure Elli will want to meet you."

I was still a little surprised that a woman I had no recollection of recognized me immediately. But still, that just went to show how friendly the town was… and how great of a man my grandfather was, once again. I began to feel a little diminished in comparison to him. I waved back and gave a smile, a little weaker than my last one, and followed the mayor into the bakery.

I met an impeccably dressed man with a small mustache and black hair combed back. He looked to be in his early thirties, maybe late twenties. We exchanged the same pleasantries, but I learned his name was Jeff. If so, then where was that Elli that the old woman outside was talking about? I soon found out.

Two doors swung open in the back and a figure wearing an azure dress and a white apron came out, with a platter filled with cakes. It was a girl with brown eyes and cinnamon brown hair in a bob around her head. Her mouth was small and curved up in a smile, and she looked about my age. I figured, at this moment, that this was Elli. She was a little plump, and a pretty girl, too.

She was another bright figure. "Hi." she said. "I'm Elli, and I guess you're the grandson of the Old Man."

Old Man? Is that what they referred to him as? I introduced myself and she went on about the bakery.

"We use my Granny's recipes, she's the one you probably saw outside, and the Bakery Master here and I cook the cakes. You should try some sometime, they're delicious."

She beamed at the man behind the counter, and the mayor and I left to continue our tour around the town.

"There's the church over there, you should talk to the Pastor sometime, we hold prayer on Sundays and he teaches the children Monday through Friday. Oh, and there's Popuri, Lillia's daughter!"

Another pink-haired girl (I swear, that has to be died or something.) stood outside the Florist, watering a garden of flowers. She was cheery and bright, even more so than Elli, and she wore a red, brown and white dress and a green headband holding her pink hair back. The girl, Popuri, the mayor called her (though for half a second I thought Lillia's daughter was literally a mixture of flowers, herbs, and spices that is usually kept in a jar and used for scent) stood with a watering can and seemed to glide across the ground, sprinkling the flowers that I had begun it inexplicably associate with her family with water. She looked up and waved, and I waved back, but apparently the mayor was too busy to stop and talk, so we pressed on.

"This is the bar, open from six to midnight, every day except Sunday. It's nice to relax sometimes, but don't hang out there too much," the miniscule man chuckled. "And these stairs lead up to the Village Square, where most of the Festivals are held." (I had no idea what Festivals were, and promised myself I'd ask that later.)

The bar was a wonderful white and brown building with a small porch and a few barrels out in the front. It looked like something ripped out of a Western movie. It looked like a nice place to spend some time in, and I doubt there's a very high drinking age here; I'm twenty-one anyway, so it's not like it matters. A brick wall was right up against the side of the bar, and two stairs lead up it with a small garden of flowers between them, and the Village Square was up those stairs, according to the mayor.

The mayor led me across the street to a small brown building with two doors in the front.

"That's the tool shop and that's the craftsman's shop. To be honest, they don't sell much, but you should drop by from time to time."

We didn't go inside either, and instead the mayor continued the tour towards a more residential area. He gestured to the library and we went inside. It really didn't have a lot of books, and there were only two people in there, a man dressed in a mailman's uniform and a small girl with long, straight black hair and glasses. She looked to be about my age, like Elli and Popuri, and was rather shy, apparently. She hid behind a nook, but the mayor introduced us.

"Ah, and here is my lovely daughter Maria! She works here at the library. Maria, this is Jack, he's working at the farm now."

I waved and tried to keep up with the cheery spirit of the town with a "Hi!", but I didn't get much response. She mumbled 'hello' back, but I don't think it was out of purposeful rudeness. I turned to the mailman and introduced myself, and he, in turn, stood up from his chair, smiled and said, "Hey, nice to meet you. I'm Harris, the postman in this town. Good luck with the farm, I'll see you around."

We left, and there really wasn't much else to see in the town, save for a few houses and the Potion shop (I really don't even know what he meant by 'potions'; would they turn me into a toad?) and so the mayor led me back to the crossroads.

"Now, off to the left there is the Green Ranch, it's closed on Thursdays, so your should stop by tomorrow. Up that way is the vineyard, Karen, Gotz, Sasha and Kai live up there, you should see Karen especially, you might like her," he gave me what he probably hoped was a mischievous wink, "and over that way is Moon Mountain, where the carpenters live. Well then, Jack, you probably have a lot of work to do, so I'll see you later sometime. G'bye now!"

With a quick handshake, the penguin-man wobbled back towards the village, and I went back to the farm.

I decided to examine the house. It had one room, with table, a box in the corner, a television, a calendar, a bed, and a small nightstand with a book on it. I checked the box first, and found some farming tools in it, which I'd definitely need later. The TV had four channels, a weather channel, a channel with the events of Flower Bud Village on it, an 'educational' channel that had some farming tips on it, and, my personal favorite, glorious channel number 4, the static network. I'd definitely be spending a lot of time watching that one.

Still, I liked it. It was simple, quiet, true and honest. It was as if I lived in a world with no deceptions now. The last thing I checked was the nightstand, on which lay the journal that I'm writing in write now (pardon the pun). The most astonishing thing of all was in the inside cover of this book were five words that inspired confidence and awe in my grandfather for the hundredth time.

_For you, Jack. Good luck._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_Year 1, Spring 4, Friday_

I forgot to get the alarm clock yesterday. Damn, damn, damn. I woke up pretty late and pulled on my clothes and hat and munched down some more rice balls. I rummaged through my pockets for some of the seeds I bought yesterday, grabbed a hoe and a watering can from the box and set outside. Then came back inside, put the hoe and watering can away, took out a hammer and an axe and went outside again.

I realized just how bad the condition of the field was. Rocks, weeds, even tree stumps everywhere. Grandpa must have neglected the field in the time before his death. This would take a while. I worked for hours, wiping my sweat with a handkerchief and carrying wood away to be stored. At noontime I stopped, put my tools away and surveyed the field. Better… but still terrible. It would take at least 2 or 3 more days to clear it completely. Exhausted, I grabbed my hoe and watering can anyway, and tilled a neat square near the house, spreading the seeds out and watering them.

I guess that's what the next few days on the farm will be like, but I'll seriously need to socialize if I want to keep my sanity. There were still a few people I hadn't met, namely the ranch and the vineyard. I decided to go check out the vineyard first. I walked up the hill and through the fenced area to a small gateway, but I stopped. I heard shouting up ahead. One sounded like an older man, and was deep and rough. The other sounded like a girl, and both voices were furious. A moment later, a beautiful girl came storming out of the house beyond the gateway. She wore a sleeveless white shirt and a purple vest, with denim shorts, and brown hiking shoes. She had brown hair that was a beautiful golden blonde at the front, and dazzling green eyes. She was crying, and shouting as furiously as the other man, who had followed her outside. I guess the man was Gotz, who the mayor had talked about yesterday, and I guessed the girl was Karen. Gotz, if that was his name, could be summed up in two words; big and hairy. He had a scraggy beard and wild hair that covered most of his face, and wore a white shirt and jeans with boots. He looked none too clean and none too healthy, with thick arms and a protruding belly. Karen was screaming as she strode away from her father, and towards me.

"Gosh! What a terrible father!" Her voice was bitter and angry, though I could detect a hint of sorrow in it. "You should let me have my way!" She ran off, out of the vineyard, ignoring me.

The fat man followed after her, but stopped at the gate, screaming at the top of his lungs after her.

"What? Don't be so selfish Karen! What an undutiful daughter!"

The man also ignored me, and turned back towards the house, slamming the door on his way in.

Yeah, maybe it wasn't a good time for me to go sightseeing.

I checked out the ranch, instead. It wasn't quiet, and that's the way I like it; it's one of the few things I liked about the city. I like noise, but this was a different kind of noise. A cow mooing here, a bird chirping there… I'd like some animals on my farm, someday, too. Maybe someday.

I couldn't see anyone, and got the feeling I was trespassing a little bit, but I walked in anyway. There was a field of grass off to the right, and I walked over to where a couple of the animals were. One in particular stood out; a dark brown stallion, with a coat the color of walnuts. It was a nice horse… Though I know next to nothing about horses. I mean, it looked nice. I rubbed its neck and patted it on the head.

"Cliff is hard to please. Do you like horses?"

I turned and saw what had to be the most attractive girl in the village, hands down. She had bright orange hair (I love red hair) that was tied back in a ribbon and braided in small, white ribbons. She wore a yellow t-shirt and slightly muddy, blue denim overall. She was about 5 foot 9, an inch or two shorter than me. The girl's voice was like water trickling over rocks. Her head was cocked to the side and she had a bright grin on her face. But most important of all were her eyes. Those cerulean eyes like sapphires that glistened with intelligence. Plus, she was a redhead. Did I mention that I love red hair? It took me a moment to conjure up an answer.

"Y-yeah."

Smooooth.

She giggled a bit.

"Oh, you do? You seem like a nice guy. I'm guessing you're the guy who's on the farm now, right?"

She came over and looked me over a bit. I felt awkward. She put her hands on her knees and examined for a second, then stood up straight with her hands on her hips.

"Say, I need to ask you something… Are you listening?" She laughed. I liked the sound. "Wait here a moment." She walked over to the barn and came out with another guy; he wore typical rancher's clothes, a dirty tan shirt and pants with a lot of pockets, and a blue Yuma cap. He had orange hair just like the girl, so I guessed he was her brother.

He looked at me for a few seconds.

"No."

Ouch. The girl turned around, a little annoyed.

"Hey! Brother!" (Well, that confirmed it.) She turned back to me. "I'm sorry. My brother's a social disaster. Truth is, we want you to enter in the Local Horse race… We'll give you Cliff's brother." I guessed Cliff was the horse I was petting. The girl called for her dad and talked to him for a minute. The father wore a nice buttoned shirt and a brown vest; he had red hair, just like everyone else in his family, and a mustache. He looked refined, but a little gruff, and he scowled a bit. The father turned to me.

"Do you think you can do it? If you can be responsible and giving, you can take the pony."

Decision time. I knew next to nothing about horses. I didn't know what exactly I'd feed him. I didn't know how to ride horses, and I wasn't even sure I wanted to. I felt awkward just taking a horse form someone I had just met. I looked at the girl.

"Yes."

The father smiled a little bit and told me he'd take the pony over to my farm. Can I call it a ranch now? Sounds cooler. Anyway, the girl turned back to me and beamed.

"Thanks!" she said. "Do your best and win the next race. Oh, yes, and give him a name too."

I thought for a moment and look at those two eyes thoughtfully.

"Sapphire?" Apparently, she liked it.

"Sapphire, huh? That's a good name." Her face mellowed a bit, and she had a caring, but still friendly look. "…Please take good care of him. If you treat him with love, he'll grow up to be strong. Do your best. I'll drop by sometimes."

I decided it was time to talk a bit.

"I'd like that." I grinned. "My name's Jack, and it's great to meet you."

"Mine's Ann. My family runs the ranch here. If you have any questions about animal raising, ask my Dad, he knows all about them."

I grinned. It'd be great to have some animals, and I'll probably talk to Ann's dad about that… But I'll probably be talking to Ann more.

Oh, I got an alarm clock today, too. So I'll finally be able to wake up on time.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_Year 1, Spring 8, Tuesday_

These last few days have been pretty busy. Each day has consisted of clearing the field, watering the two cabbage plots and one potato plot, shipping whatever the buyer will take, and I mean anything. Random berries, edible herbs, medicinal plants (Oh, and talking to Ann… every day), I've been scavenging a lot for stuff in Moon Mountain. I worked up about 800G, which is pretty fast, I guess. I thought it over and decided it would be best to get a brush for my horse; he'd have to be in great condition if I… we were going to win any races. I figured the best place to look for a brush would be the tool shop. So after I finished my chores for the day, I headed over to Rick's shop.

I was lucky, because today was the Sowing Festival, and shops are usually never open on festivals. Rick was behind the counter when I got there. He's kind of a weird guy. He's got red hair (I learned that he's Ann's cousin, too. The red hair was kind of a giveaway) that's rather long. I've also never seen him without his goggles on, and he always wears an apron. But he doesn't cook like Elli, he's an inventor. Though I haven't seen much, really. He's got two whole shelves of scattered tools and almost nothing to sell, save for the brush that I bought today and a rug. Before I could ask the price on the brush, Rick asked why I wanted it. I shrugged and told him that I was raising the horse from the Green Ranch

"Really? Well, Hall over there is my uncle, and Ann and Gray are my cousins. I'll give you a discount if you promise to race as hard as you can." The inventor chuckled. I grinned and agreed to the deal, which brought the price down to 800G, and that was all I had. Phew. I'm still grateful for the discount, and I've sort of befriended Rick; he's a good guy.

I didn't have time to bring the brush back to the farm, though. I threw it in my rucksack and Rick and I left his shop together (he wasn't even really open, but he let me in because he was inside at the time. He's pretty much never open, come to think of it.) for the Sowing Festival, which was right up the stairs to the Festival Square.

To be honest, I didn't really know what exactly the mayor had meant by a festival, so I didn't really know what to expect. When I got to the Festival Square, though, I cheered up a bit. It was like a big party, a social gathering. I saw some of the people from the Town that I'd already met, and some I hadn't. Everyone was holding balloons and I heard cheery, celebration-like music. A few people grinned when they saw me, but I really hadn't made many friends; Rick was one of them, along with Harris the mailman, oddly enough, and of course, most important, Ann. I've spent every day visiting the ranch, rain or shine, and sometimes going through pains to fit it into my schedule. I didn't see her father or her brother there, and I was slightly curious as to when I'd see her mother. What I noticed right away, though, was a brightly colored hot air balloon sitting in the middle of the square. I found out what it was for a little while later.

The diminutive mayor was glad to see me, and introduced me to his wife, which must have meant Maria was her daughter. Daughters, mothers, cousins, uncles, grandmothers, grandfathers… circles within circles. I mingled a bit with the people I knew and introduced myself to a few I hadn't met, but before long, it appeared it was time for the main event. The mayor cleared his throat and everyone went a little quieter as he spoke up.

"Now then, may the Harvest King step forward and begin the sowing ceremony?"

A man I didn't recognize stepped forward. He wore tattered red clothes and a red cap, and had a white mustache. He looked very old, and was probably one of the oldest, if not the oldest people I'd seen so far, save for Elli's grandmother.

"Tsk, tsk, making a man so old do a job so trying… What hard masters."

That got at least a small laugh out of everyone. I liked the guy, even though I didn't even know his name. The mayor spoke up.

"Well then, can you please choose your assistant?"

The old man had apparently planned that out beforehand. "My grandson, Stu, would like to come with me."

I knew Stu, I had met him a day or two ago. He was a nice kid, and his brother Kent was too. They both seemed to like me from the moment I met them, and I guessed they were around seven or eight years old. Kent seemed a little disappointed, but he let his brother go. And so the two, young and old, stepped into the balloon with a few bags of seed and they were off; everyone cheered a little bit.

I talked to Ann a bit after that. She smiled as I walked over.

"Hey, Jack." I wonder what kind of smile that is. Is it just polite, or am I slowly being considered some kind of friend? I smiled back, anyway.

"Oh, hey, Ann. You seem kind of by yourself back here." She did.

"Well, I hang out with Karen a lot, we're kind of best friends. And since Gray and Dad aren't here… Well, yeah, I guess I am a little lonely." I noticed she didn't mention any mother. A few realizations started to sprout in my mind, but I didn't speak of them. Instead, I continued the conversation.

"I think I met Karen a week ago, if you can call it that. Before I came to your ranch, I stopped by the vineyard, and it looked like she and her father were having a fight. I figured it wasn't my place, so I left and haven't been there or seen her since."

She gave me a sad smile. "Well, Karen's a great person, but she doesn't get along so well with her father… Karen's going through some troubles at the moment, and she's not exactly the most polite person in the village, but you should try to get to know her."

I nodded and muttered, "By the way, where can I get a balloon like you have? What do we do with them, anyway?"

She looked up at her balloon and explained it to me. "We all get balloons and fill them with seeds, then everyone lets them go and the seeds spread out over the land. At least, they're supposed to." She grinned. "It's kind of a girl thing, this festival." I noticed, since I saw that all the girls my age were there (save for Karen) and not so many guys. "Along with the flower seeds, I put in some grass seeds, too. I hope it reaches your farm." Ann gave a lopsided grin. "It's kind of a lame festival, but it helps break up the monotony."

"Eh, it's not so bad. Definitely a nice change from farming all day. Do you come to the festivals often?"

"Every one." What a coincidence, so will I!

I chuckled. "Heh, so where can I get a balloon?"

She gestured over to Lillia, behind her. I got a white balloon from the flower-lover, and when the signal was given, released the balloons.

Anyway, today was a good day, and I'm going to have a good sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_Year 1, Spring 15, Tuesday_

Things have been going well, very well. The cabbage and potato patches were ripe this morning, so I picked them, shipping most of them and saving a few. The field is looking great, though I have to pick the occasional weed. The buyer picked them up later, and as I'm writing this I have a little over 400G. I spent most of it on potato seeds. I've decided to grow more potato crops for two reasons, one more important than the other. I did my chores pretty quickly, and I bought a lot of potato seeds. My trip to the florist, however, was interesting, because I went with the owner.

I was eating my beloved rice balls and pulling on my even more beloved hat when I heard a "Hey!" from outside. I was, naturally, a little surprised, seeing as I hadn't made many friends and the only person to stop by my farm so far was the mayor. So I went outside and beheld an oddly dressed man. He wore a rugged green shirt and green pants; at least, they must have started out green, but now were caked with plenty of dirt. The man had a travel worn rucksack and hiking boots, and to top it all off, a brown fedora with a single feather in it. It made for adventurous appearance, very Indiana Jones. I stepped forward and closed the door behind me.

"Hey there, my name's Jack, nice to meet you."

"Hey, Jack. You're the guy restoring the farm, right?" He surveyed the field a lot, I don't know if he was impressed or not. His attitude was calm and laid back, but energetic at the same time. It was odd, and a little inspiring. He seemed like a man that had years of experience and knew it, too.

"Yeah, that's me. I'm the Old Man's grandson."

"Hard work, eh? Let me introduce myself… I'm a botanist… Well, actually, I own the flower shop, or co-own it at least…"

I grinned, because I thought I remembered his name. And I thought right. "Then you must be Basil."

The traveler looked rather impressed, which was good. "Heh, that's me. I travel around a lot, so you won't see me at all in the Fall or Winter…"

Basil was cut off by a joyful, bubbly voice emanating from a pink-clothed figure behind us.

"Daddy!"

Basil and I turned and saw Popuri standing by my mailbox. Ooh, that reminds me, I better start checking my mail. Basil rushed towards Popuri and picked her up.

"Oh, Popuri, my sweet little daughter!" He lifted her off the ground and laughed.

Will I ever have anyone love me like that?

Popuri seemed a little embarrassed, maybe because an incredibly muscular and handsome man in a blue hat was standing nearby watching. Or not.

"Come on, Dad! I'm not a kid anymore, stop it!"

Basil seemed a happy man. "You've grown prettier, Popuri." The pink-haired girly still looked a little pouty, but not exactly displeased.

"Mom's waiting to see you. Hurry on home." That was what interested me, that Basil had visited my farm… the farm before he visited his own family. Why is that? He seemed to be examining the farm a lot. Is this another man whose respect I must earn? That just adds to the list. I'm going to have to do a lot of impressing and make a lot of friends in my life if I'm going to stay. Which I am.

Basil replied, "I know, Popuri. I'm on my way right now."

Basil turned to leave and Popuri rolled her eyes and giggled at me. "My dad, the vagabond."

I laughed and walked after Basil. "Actually, I was just planning on going to your store, I need some vegetable seeds."

Basil seemed pleased. "Busy, huh? What kind of seeds?"

"I was thinking potatoes. They grow faster than cabbages and only sell for a little less." Which was my first and less important reason for wanting them. I tried to seem economic and intelligent to him. All part of my master plan to earn everyone's friendship and trust. I'm so devious.

Basil chuckled. "Well, good luck with the planting, and buy as many as you can." He winked.

Twenty minutes later, I left the florists' with 1600G worth of potato seeds. The walk was short, but pleasant. I liked the country more and more every minute I stayed here. I planned out my crop layout; three by three meter plots in two rows of four plots each. It would take a while, and I decided to forage from Moon Mountain a bit later. When I got back to the farm, I grabbed my hoe out of that box of tools and went to work. Tilling the soil is still monotonous work, but I feel as if I'm getting marginally better at it. Or maybe that's just the cheery atmosphere getting to me. I'm changing already.

I got a pleasant surprise in the middle of my work. I leaned on my hoe for a second, tired, and spotted a familiar girl walking down the path to the farm. It was Ann.

I guess I was smiling, because she smiled back. I had definitely developed a crush by that point, because I was instantly cheered up whenever I saw her. The feeling's odd for me; All my life I've been close to pretty much no one, much less had a girlfriend (Which is pretty pathetic for someone twenty-one years old) and I'm pretty much totally inexperienced in these matters. I'm sure she still just thinks of me as an acquaintance, and that might never change. No, no, I can't think that. As these thoughts ran through my head at light-speed, she spoke up.

"Workin' hard?"

I grinned. "Sure as hell isn't easy, but someone's gotta do it. The first crops I grew turned out pretty well."

Ann seemed rather impressed. "Really? What did you grow?"

"Well, I started off with a cabbage patch, then I worked up some money shipping random berries, herbs and the like, and I bought some cabbage seeds around the time of the sowing festival. I planted those, and I shipped most of them. Here, I have a potato, freshly picked, right here."

I went inside and came out with a lumpy, brown vegetable. She cocked her head and her red hair swished. The beautiful girl standing before me laughed. Heck, she laughed a lot. Was she just doing it to be polite? Was she just another one of those people? Or was Ann for real? I pushed the thought from my mind.

"I love potatoes! They're my favorite vegetable, next to corn, at least. Thanks!" She laughed. I loved the sound.

Okay, remember that. Corn. Potatoes. Corn. Potatoes. Corn. Potatoes.

"I'll probably cook this up later, though I'm not exactly an amazing chef." She smiled sheepishly.

I laughed. "You can learn from me. I eat all kinds of amazing meals, like, rice balls, and… I guess that's pretty much it. Rice balls. Every morning."

"I'll cook you something sometime, as long as a doctor's nearby."

"That'd be great, rice balls are getting old." I turned back to my work, and she turned to leave, took a few steps, and turned back around. "Hey, good luck on the farm!"

I looked back up. "Thanks. Hey, stop by more often!"

That got a chuckle out of her. "I will."

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful, though it took a damn long time to get all the seeds planted and watered. That's going to be one heck of a chore, and I'll need to get pretty good with that watering can; maybe I should ask Popuri.

I did, however, get to talk to and meet some new people today. I chatted with Harris, who was delivering mail, and I went up to Moon Mountain and talked with the carpenters. They look pretty good at what they do, and it looks like they'd be able to do some work on my house, if… when I have the money and the lumber. I got a chance to talk with Rick a little bit, and even spent about 12 seconds worth of talking to Karen, which was a first. I found her all by herself at the beach (Which I hadn't even known existed), and she basically told me to piss off. Ow. I met her father too, who I've confirmed is Gotz, and his reaction was basically the same. I head on home, a little dejected after those two rude rejections. I guess my plan is to befriend the both of them, but I should probably work on financial matters on the moment. Speaking of befriending people…

Before the day ended, I remembered what the mayor had said two days earlier, about the bar. It had completely passed from my mind, but now, I was intrigued. A little tired from the day's work, but interested, nonetheless. So at around 7:00, I headed into the town for the bar.

My first impression of the atmosphere was: tired. Everyone seemed a little worn out from the day's work, and I didn't see a lot of the cheerfulness I usually did. I saw plenty of people; Kai from the vineyard, Ann's father, Ann's brother, Ann's friend, hell, Ann's grandmother was probably loafing around here. I also saw Jeff from the bakery, Harris the mailman, and Gotz.

Everyone looked at least semi-happy, except Harris and Gray, really, though I expect Gotz was just drunk. Gray's demeanor didn't surprise me, as I'd seen him before, but Harris… It was odd. He'd been happy today, and he just seemed downright moody. I tried to talk to him a bit, but he was a little unresponsive. It looked like he definitely had something on his mind, but I barely knew the guy, so I didn't pry.

I tried talking to Gray first, and it went something like this.

"Hey."

"Go away."

Yeah, it's gonna take some effort to befriend him. But somehow, this one was most important of all. Gray was close to Ann, extremely protective of her, and he didn't seem to like me at all. I wanted to change that. So I vow, now, that every day, I'm going to talk to Gray, no matter how many times he blows me off.

I had a single beer and talked with the bartender a bit, making a little idle chatter with Ann's dad, who I now know as Doug, before I left.

It looks like the greatest challenge won't be wealth and riches, but rather influence. I'm going to have to befriend a lot of people if I want to live here. And I sure do.


End file.
